Insulator for use on electric railways.



No. 644,646. E 'Pfented Mar. e, |900. J. e. w. n. THoMAs.

INSULTUR FOB USE 0N ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

(Application led Dec. 12, 1899.)

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JAMES THOMAS AND IVILLIM R. THOMAS, OF CATASAUQUA, PENNSYL- VANIA.

INSULATOR FOR USE ON ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 644,646, dated March 6, 1900.

Application iiled December l2, 1899. Serial No. 740,077. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that We, JAMES THOMAS and WILLIAM R. THOMAS, citizens of the United States, residing at Catasauqua, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulators for Use on Electric Railways; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in insulators, and particularly to that class of insulators which are adapted for use upon electric railways.

It consists in a device forinsulating a conductor comprising a base, an insulating-block having a recess adapted to t upon a projecting portion of the said base, and a conductorsupporting cup fitting upon and iuclosing the other portion of the said block, means for securing the parts together, and means for holding the conductor in position upon the said cup.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a View of an insulator, portions being shown in elevation and the remainder in central section; and Fig. 2 represents a top plan View of the insulator.

1 in the drawings represents an insulator block or piece, 2 a base for supporting the same, and 3 an attaching-cup for holding a conductor, as 4.

The base 2 is preferably made with a broad attaching portion, as 5 5, provided with suitable bolt or nail holes, by which the same may be secured to any suitable support. The central portion of the base 2 projects outwardly to a considerable distance and is preferably formed with many sides, it being shown in the drawings with eight side faces. The projecting portion 6 of the base 2 is adapted to extend into a recess or socket 7, formed in one end of the insulator-block 1. The recess 7 is preferably made with a number of faces corresponding to the faces upon the base 2, and when the insulating-block is placed upon the base a suitable cement, as at 8, is interposed between the said base and insulating-block. If desired, the base 2 may be provided with spacing projections, as 9 9, on its outer end, so as to hold the insulating-block at proper distance therefrom.

The insulating-block 1 is made of a suitable insulating material-such as porcelain, glass, rubber, or the like-and is larger, preferably, at its inner end to receive the recess 7, while its outer end is somewhat reduced and preferably made with a many-sided contoursay octagonal. Spacing projections, as 10 10, may be formed upon the outer end of the said block. Upon this end of the block is secured an attaching-cup 3, which is provided with a recess 11, made to conform to the contour of the insulating-block 1, it being preferably flared upon its inner edge, as seen at 12. A suitable cement, as 13, is interposed between the attaching-cup and the insulating-block. Formed upon the attaching-cup, upon opposite sides thereof, are projections orlugs 1414, having bolt-holes 15 15 formed therein. These -bolt-holes are preferably round in shape and are each provided with a rectangular countersunk portion, as at 16, which is adapted to receive the rectangular lower portion of the heads 17 on the bolts 18. The Shanks of the bolts 18 pass through the openings 15 and are secured in place by suitable nuts, as 19 19. The heads 17 are elongated and are bent inwardly at their outer ends, as at 20, so as to overhang the flanges 21 21 of a conductor 4. Spacing projections, as 22, are preferably formed on the outer surface of the cup 3 to engage the insulator. The conductor 4 may be of any shape and material suitable for use in conducting an electric current. The heads 17 of the bolts 18 18 are preferably formed so as not to press upon the flanges 21 of the conductor, a sufficient leeway being given for the conductor to have some movement upon the cup 3. When it is desired to remove the conductor from the insulator, it is only necessary to loosen one of the bolts 18 slightly, so that its head 17 can be disengaged from the countersunk portion 16 and turned to one side.

IOO

This allows the iiange of the yconductor to be liberated from the cup 3.

It will be apparent from the above description that our improved insulator is well adapted for holding allsorts of conductors which are for use upon electric railways and that the conductor will be supported yin such rthe other end of the said Ainsulating-block,

spacing projections on said block'for separating the cup a suitable distance therefrom,

ymeansr for holding the parts together, and

means for securing a conductor tothe said cup, substantially as described.

' 2. An'insulator foi-supporting conductors, comprising a base having a projecting portion, spacing projections formed thereon, a cup for supporting a conductor, spacing projections on said cup for engaging said conductor, and an insulating-block interposed between the base and cup, the said yblock being provided at one end with a recess adapt ed to fit over the base and being adapted at its other end to engage a recess formed in the said cup, spacing projections on said block for engaging the cup, and cement or other ad liesive material interposed between'the parts for holding them together, substantially as described. f

3. Au insulator comprising a base, an insulating-block and an attaching-cup, laterally-projecting lugs on said cup having bolt holes therein, bolts having many-sided heads engaging the bolt-holes in the said cup, said holes having rectangular countersunk portions for engaging the many-sided heads of the bolts to prevent their turning, the heads upon Ithe said bolts being adapted to overhang portions of a conductor for holding t-he same upon the cup,substantially as described.

4. Au insulator for conductors comprising a base, an attaching-cup, an insulating-block for securing them together, apertured lugs formed upon the said cup and inclined t0- rWard the conductor, bolts adapted to fit in recesses in the said lugs, saidr bolts having head portions formed with rectangular bases adapted to fit in shallow countersunk portions in the said lugs so that the bolts ycannot turn when securedin place, overhanging end portionsformed on the said heads for embracing the fianges of a conductor, the struc-y f f ture being such that, by loosening one of the bolts and slightly lifting the head thereof out of the countersnnk portion, it may turn to one side so as to liberate the conductor, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We hereunto aiix our signatures in-presenceof two Witnesses.

JAMES THOMAS. WILLIAM R. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

ROBT. E. WILLIAMS, PATRICK MGNALLY. 

